“I didn’t know movies could make me feel like this”: Hugh Jackman Calls Steven Spielberg’s ‘Rejected James Bond’ Film a Game Changer Before Refusing the 007 Title Himself

After rising to prominence through the success of Jaws, 1981 witnessed arguably the best work of Steven Spielberg to date, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which made millions fall in love with the medium. And among these millions, one name was Hugh Jackman, who went on to deem the adventure action as one of the biggest game changers for him.

But surprisingly, the iconic film, which is often considered one of the greatest films ever made, wouldn’t have seen the light of day if Spielberg wasn’t rejected from adapting the iconic British Spy.

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Rejection Resulted in Steven Spielberg Crafting the Film That Inspired Hugh Jackman

Being an avid fan of James Bond since his younger days, Steven Spielberg didn’t waste time contacting the Bond producers to adapt the material after his Jaws became a huge success. Unfortunately, Albert R. Broccoli wasn’t on board with the idea of the director bringing his own vision to the table, ending up putting the kibosh on the Jaws director’s plans.

But this didn’t stop Spielberg from delivering another blockbuster, crafting an original adventure hero, Indiana Jones, which had an immense impact on a young Hugh Jackman. Recounting his experience of watching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, Jackman recalled,

“It’s another game changer for me. I saw it when I was 12, I think. 11 or 12,” he said to Rotten Tomatoes. “I just remember saying to my brother, ‘I didn’t know movies could make me feel like this.’ So it transported me. I believed in it.”

While Spielberg did end up making one of the finest pieces of media, on the flip side,  For Your Eyes Only, which debuted the same year as Raiders of the Lost Ark, failed to leave an impact.

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The Producers Can No Longer Afford Steven Spielberg

Although Steven Spielberg has grown quite persistent in hearing rejections in his decades-long career, the director did once again reach out to Broccoli before moving on with Raiders of the Lost Ark. After Close Encounters of the Third Kind‘s big success, the Indiana Jones director once again offered to take the wheels of a James Bond film. But to the director’s dismay, he was once again renounced to adapt the material, which didn’t end up going the producers’ way, as in recent times, they’re no longer able to afford the Oscar-winner.

“Then even after Close Encounters came out and was a big hit – once again – I tried to get on a Bond film. And they still didn’t think I was right for the part. Twice I tried to get on a Bond film and now they can’t afford me. So Barbara Broccoli, forget it,” Spielberg told The Independent.

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Interestingly, Hugh Jackman was once one of the favorites to land the role of 007 but refused the offer as he wasn’t too keen on playing a single role, as his hands were already full with Wolverine.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is available to stream on Disney Plus.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes.